Flash photography + dark rides...

[openendedsky]

Are you a comedian? Because this is one of the funniest things that could've followed, I hate to stereotype.

This.

And honestly, for the simple fact that most of these people don't even know what they're doing, they shouldn't be allowed to take pictures on ride. If they can figure out how to turn the flash off on their camera for the duration of the ride, then more power to them.

 

[yeti]

While I got a good laugh out of the squirt idea... let's be careful to assume every flash we see is someone being rude and/or ignoring the rules. It hasn't happened often but on a few occasions I've taken shots on a dark ride thinking my flash was off and it wasn't. Now yes, in those cases you'll see one flash and not another from the ride vehicle the rest of the trip but please let's not go squirting after one flash ok? LOL!

This is a good point, but hardly the case anymore in my experience.

Now it's sort of like group think. They see one person do it so they think they'll jump on the wagon. I went on Mermaid and just about every second clamshell was snapping shots throughout the ride. They all had their flashes on, and they all knew it because--as in nearly all cases--they were taking multiple shots throughout the ride. No "woops must've left my flash on" here.

And they all knew they were breaking the rules. While I'd like to agree with what you just pointed out, I stand by my belief that a grand majority of WDW guests are just that ignorant. Either that or it's just the bad ones that stand out.

 

[xdan0920]

Look, no offense, and remember I said, no offense, but.....and now you are free to say anything you like. That's how society works, right?

 

[ExtinctJenn]

This is a good point, but hardly the case anymore in my experience.

Now it's sort of like group think. They see one person do it so they think they'll jump on the wagon. I went on Mermaid and just about every second clamshell was snapping shots throughout the ride. They all had their flashes on, and they all knew it because--as in nearly all cases--they were taking multiple shots throughout the ride. No "woops must've left my flash on" here.

And they all knew they were breaking the rules. While I'd like to agree with what you just pointed out, I stand by my belief that a grand majority of WDW guests are just that ignorant. Either that or it's just the bad ones that stand out.

Oh trust me I agree... I was just saying occasionally it's not purposeful. I feel your pain trust me... I actually lost my mind last week on Nemo as a result of this. The clam next to me kept taking flash pictures (every 30 seconds) so after about 10 times I finally decided that if they were going to ruin MY experience, I'd ruin theirs... every time they snapped a shot I leaned out of my shell, faced them and said "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!" And I do mean every time... by the end of the ride I think I had said it 7 or 8 times. I was in a mood and was just so tired of people caring about nothing but themselves and their own experience (we had run into this sort of mentality a LOT). I'm always willing to give the benefit of the doubt but when you are just being flat out rude, you've lost my respect and with it that benefit.

 

[Club Cooloholic]

Other than some boat rides like small world...I never felt compelled to take a pic on a ride, especially dark rides. You can see better pics elsewhere, video it maybe but rides of animatronics? It reminds me of when I would go to the zoo as a kid, we would take a bunch of pics of say a peacock then when you print them their the ones you look at for two seconds and never again, because well, it's a bird and you will see it again the next time you go to the zoo.

 

[G00fyDad]

This is a good point, but hardly the case anymore in my experience.

Now it's sort of like group think. They see one person do it so they think they'll jump on the wagon. I went on Mermaid and just about every second clamshell was snapping shots throughout the ride. They all had their flashes on, and they all knew it because--as in nearly all cases--they were taking multiple shots throughout the ride. No "woops must've left my flash on" here.

And they all knew they were breaking the rules. While I'd like to agree with what you just pointed out, I stand by my belief that a grand majority of WDW guests are just that ignorant. Either that or it's just the bad ones that stand out.

Ignorance has little to do with it. Most people you run into have a "ME" attitude. They think that just because they want to do something that you should shut your mouth and let them do it. Most of these precious little gems have never had the crap beat out of them and just assume that they are the most important person in the world. If I find a person like this snapping photos, and I know for a fact that they understand what they are doing, then I'm going to squirt them with a little water. If they don't care if I have vision during the ride then I don't care if they get a little wet.

 

[blackthidot]

Another annoying thing about flash is that I carry a decent camera so CM's are always staring my camera after the ride. I always say "It was the idiots behind us."

 

[yeti]

Oh trust me I agree... I was just saying occasionally it's not purposeful. I feel your pain trust me... I actually lost my mind last week on Nemo as a result of this. The clam next to me kept taking flash pictures (every 30 seconds) so after about 10 times I finally decided that if they were going to ruin MY experience, I'd ruin theirs... every time they snapped a shot I leaned out of my shell, faced them and said "NO FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY!" And I do mean every time... by the end of the ride I think I had said it 7 or 8 times. I was in a mood and was just so tired of people caring about nothing but themselves and their own experience (we had run into this sort of mentality a LOT). I'm always willing to give the benefit of the doubt but when you are just being flat out rude, you've lost my respect and with it that benefit.

Ignorance has little to do with it. Most people you run into have a "ME" attitude. They think that just because they want to do something that you should shut your mouth and let them do it. Most of these precious little gems have never had the crap beat out of them and just assume that they are the most important person in the world. If I find a person like this snapping photos, and I know for a fact that they understand what they are doing, then I'm going to squirt them with a little water. If they don't care if I have vision during the ride then I don't care if they get a little wet.

I'm actually shocked by this. Whenever we've told people to stop (and it's happened numerous times), they'd cease immediately. Thus me thinking they were plain ol' stupid.

As most WDW guest altercations prove, I won't deny that many folks who visit disney go on some pretty twisted, delusional power trips But whenever I've been they accomplished it by pushing, reporting false accusations, swearing, beeping, and causing a tremendous scene/yelling at YOU (yes, really) because their toddler ran into you when they weren't watching where she was going. Never have I seen this as a rationale behind flash pictures, but again, I won't deny it. But I disagree that it's prevalent over ignorance.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

I'm actually shocked by this. Whenever we've told people to stop (and it's happened numerous times), they'd cease immediately. Thus me thinking they were plain ol' stupid.

As most WDW guest altercations prove, I won't deny that many folks who visit disney go on some pretty twisted, delusional power trips But whenever I've been they accomplished it by pushing, reporting false accusations, swearing, beeping, and causing a tremendous scene/yelling at YOU (yes, really) because their toddler ran into you when they weren't watching where she was going. Never have I seen this as a rationale behind flash pictures, but again, I won't deny it.

Oh don't misunderstand... 99% of the time you're right (you say something and it stops or you don't even have to because they do it once and go "oh crap!" and don't do it again) but that other 1% irks the living *bleeeeep* out of me!

 

[yeti]

Oh don't misunderstand... 99% of the time you're right (you say something and it stops or you don't even have to because they do it once and go "oh crap!" and don't do it again) but that other 1% irks the living *bleeeeep* out of me!

I can only imagine...did you tattle on them? I would've.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

I can only imagine...did you tattle on them? I would've.

It took everything in me but no. I may have crossed my typical line but I managed to not go into high school mode and let it go. LOL

 

[G00fyDad]

Oh don't misunderstand... 99% of the time you're right (you say something and it stops or you don't even have to because they do it once and go "oh crap!" and don't do it again) but that other 1% irks the living *bleeeeep* out of me!

^^This.

It is only a small fraction that keep doing this even after you say something. I do think that most people that use flash on a dark ride do so out of sheer arrogance though, even if they do back down when asked. The people I am suggesting get squirt with water are the small group that look at you like you are ruining their ride/trip when you politely ask them to stop the first time. Oh, and I do ask them to stop, very politely at first. I do this because they could be one of the people that do not know how to turn off the flash. I have even had one lady ask me to help her turn it off on IaSW once because she had no idea. I did so and turned her ISO settings up a little so she could still get a decent enough photo.

 

[WDW 3]

We were on HM and someone kept taking pics using a flash. Annoying. I actually said "QUIT" and they did.
It's dark, no one really knew which doom buggy had the crabby lady

 

[The Mighty Tim]

I will hold up my hands here and admit I have been guilty of inadvertently taking a flash photo in POTC. I had no batteries left in my regular camera, and wanted to take a shot with my mobile phone camera, forgetting I had left the flash on.

As soon as I took the picture, there was an "oh crap" from me at the same time the lady sat in front told me off. I apologised and promptly switched off the flash.

 

[G00fyDad]

I will hold up my hands here and admit I have been guilty of inadvertently taking a flash photo in POTC. I had no batteries left in my regular camera, and wanted to take a shot with my mobile phone camera, forgetting I had left the flash on.

As soon as I took the picture, there was an "oh crap" from me at the same time the lady sat in front told me off. I apologised and promptly switched off the flash.

See, now that is completely understandable and I do not get irritated at the first flash at all. I can't stand when mommy and daddy let their precious little one take pictures in dark rides. It looks like a strobe light.

 

[ExtinctJenn]

See, now that is completely understandable and I do not get irritated at the first flash at all. I can't stand when mommy and daddy let their precious little one take pictures in dark rides. It looks like a strobe light.

Yep that falls into the category of the 99% I mentioned above.

 

[bsiev1977]

It's not as touchy as the scooter threads, and most people here understand what "No Flash Photography" means. It mostly gets people's blood boiling discussing stories/incidents they have witnessed.

Right, it's touchy in the sense that people can get a little heated when discussing something that really bothers them. Like, people ruining the experience of a ride by taking a bunch of flash pictures.

 

[George]

I take flash pictures on the rides constantly, but out of politeness to my fellow guest, I announce that I'm about to take a flash picture with my megaphone and then turn on my portable strobe/siren system as further warning that a flash photo is about to take place. Believe me, hardly anyone has seemed offended by the picture (at least) with my system!

 

[britdaw]

I admit... I fully intended on using flash if I needed to in the dark rides before we went. But once we got there, I just didn't have it in me to do it. I felt like I'd be ruining the ride experience for everyone. YES, of course, everyone wants awesome pictures to remember every second of their trip, but it really does ruin the experience of the ride. They're dark for a reason!

 

[TubaGeek]

Alright folks, I'm going to bring another controversial subject into the convo in a BIG way, so... please behave.
What if (I can't imagine this would happen, but I, for one, would LOVE it) they perfected the RFID/Magicband tech and a cast member was watching the whole ride on monitors. If anyone took a flash picture, the CM could select the guilty car and onboard audio would play a friendly reminder in the language of the rider, because their spoken language was loaded onto the guest's Magicband info.
Let's take it one step further: if the guest refused to comply, that CM could make a notation on their Magicband info saying that they had been warned regarding flash pictures. If that guest had a repeat offense on ANY future attraction that day, disciplinary action could be taken. The whole "warning/notation/discipline" lineup could also be used to take care of line-jumpers etc...
Obviously we don't have that technology YET and even if we did, Disney would never implement it to that degree, not to mention the debugging a system like that would require, but... heck, a guy can dream, right?